Events

The Discovery of Beagle 2

There’s been a lot of excitement in the scientific community recently, with the announcement of the discovery of Beagle 2. But what is it and how did it get lost? (And no, it has nothing to do with dogs!)

What is Beagle 2?

Beagle 2

Beagle 2 is a landing spacecraft just 2 metres across that was built by a team of British scientists, led by Professor Colin Pillinger. It was designed to examine the surface of Mars, measuring the different amounts of carbon and other chemicals in an attempt to determine whether life could have existed on the planet at some point in time.

Why is it called Beagle 2?

HMS Beagle

The spacecraft was named after HMS Beagle, the ship that carried Charles Darwin on his voyage around Earth in the 1830s. This voyage led to a much greater understanding of life on our planet; Professor Pillinger and his team hoped that Beagle 2 would do the same for our knowledge of any life on Mars.

How was Beagle 2 lost?

Mars Express

On the 19th December 2003 Beagle 2 was launched from the Mars Express orbiter, and on the 25th December it descended towards the surface of Mars. Once it had landed safely it was programmed to deploy its solar panels and contact Mars Express. Unfortunately it was never heard from again, and was declared lost on the 6th February 2004.

How was it found?

Beagle 2

A NASA spacecraft, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, is currently orbiting the red planet and photographing its surface. After searching through billions of pixels in large quantities of images, the Beagle team believe that they have found their craft.

Although more focused photographs need to be taken in order to determine exactly how Beagle 2 is lying, it looks as though the lander made it to the surface safely but only deployed 2 or maybe 3 of its 4 solar panels. The radio antennae with which it should have contacted Mars Express is tucked underneath the fourth panel, and so was never able to function. The Beagle 2 team are overjoyed to have found their lost lander, although Professor Colin Pillinger died in May 2014 without ever knowing what had happened to his craft.

Now what?

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Hopefully future images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will show even more clearly how Beagle 2 is positioned. The lander was partly battery powered and would have been able to record images and data as it descended through the atmosphere, but this information is locked inside its memory and inaccessible. Andrew Coates, who was the lead investigator on Beagle 2’s stereo camera system, has said that it’s likely that the images and data exist and joked that “All we need is an astronaut and a USB stick to go and get them!”.

Events

5 Fab and Easy World Book Day Costumes

Eek, only another few days, and you haven’t decided what to wear! We have some fantastic ideas for easy World Book Day costumes!

Pippi Longstocking

Photo Credit

At last! A reason for keeping all those odd socks – they are perfect for a Pippi Longstocking costume. An old pinafore or smock, with a stripy t-shirt, odd socks and some red hair dye! There is a fantastic tutorial here, on how to do Pippi-style braids. Don’t forget the freckles!

Events

Will It Be a White Christmas 2014?

As we get closer and closer to the big day, the question on everyone’s lips is, ‘Will it be a White Christmas 2014?’. The answer to that depends on a number of factors, such as where you live and what we mean by a ‘White Christmas’.

What is a White Christmas?

For most people in UK, a White Christmas is when we have a complete covering of snow on the ground on the morning of 25th December. For others, a single snowflake or flurry of snow is enough to declare it a ‘White Christmas’.

The Americans are more precise, calling a White Christmas when there is a snow depth of ‘one inch or more, on Christmas Morning’. I’m inclined to go with the American definition, but you can make up your own mind!

Where is a White Christmas Almost Guaranteed?

In UK there is no place that we can guarantee a White Christmas. You might be more likely to see snow in the mountains, but some years even the high ground didn’t get snow! The mountain ranges of Europe are a better bet, especially the villages higher up.

In USA there are wide swathes of the country that are pretty much guaranteed NOT to have a White Christmas. Kids who live in Texas or Florida are unlikely to open their windows to a wintery Christmas scene!

The northern states are used to large amounts of snow – you may have seen the pictures like this one in the news recently, when the Buffalo area was hit by freak winter storms. How would you like to shovel a path to this house?

Snow in Buffalo, USA. 2014

When Will We Know?

Long range weather forecasts are not really reliable, and we won’t know until a few days before Xmas whether it will be a White Christmas. At the time of writing, it is looking like most of UK will be too mild for snow on 25th December, but we will be keeping an eye on the Met Office website in the next week.

Featured Image

Events

Summer Clothes: Boys’ Edition

This week it’s the boys’ turn for some summer fashion – read on for some inspiration. If you haven’t seen last week’s Girls’ Edition, click here, and remember – you don’t have to be too hung up on whether clothes are sold as boys’ or girls’ – if you like something, go for it!

If you like stripes, you’re in luck. As ever, they are everywhere, and in every colour combo you can think of – check out the unusual clash of colours on this Ted Baker top. There are plenty of t-shirts around – we like the ones with contrasting colour pockets like these from Asda – but these sweaters are both great too. Otherwise, try stripes on your shorts, like these from Frugi.

Striped jumper – Mango, Peach striped tee – Next, Multi tee – Ted Baker, Striped shorts – Frugi, 2-pack t-shirts – Asda, Striped jumper – Mango

Who doesn’t love a fun t-shirt? If you’re bored of anchors and boats, why not go for something a bit different – the headphones tee from Debenhams and licence plate one from Mango are particularly cool. Perhaps you could go for a simple, striking image like this Next glasses t-shirt. Or if creatures are more your thing, we recommend something like the bear or beetle tees, which also have interesting lettering, or perhaps this great white shark one from Asda, which changes colour in the heat.

Headphones – Debenhams, Shark – Asda, Beetle – Debenhams, Green patterned – Next, Licence plate – Mango, ‘Cool’ – Next, Bangers and mash – Monsoon, Bear – Debenhams, Dinosaur – Frugi

It’s summer, so go bright, go bold! Whether it’s checks or neons, it’s a great time to get creative with your colours and patterns. Hawaiian style shirts are always fun, and bright yellow is everywhere – just avoid wearing it all over if you don’t want to hurt people’s eyes!

Hawaiian shirt – M&S, Checked shirt – Mango, Yellow shorts – H&M, Coral swim shorts – H&M, Lime t-shirt – H&M, Pink chinos – Mango, Red checked shirt – Debenhams, Green shorts – H&M, Yellow hoodie – M&S

This wouldn’t be a post on summer clothing without a mention of shorts. The campervan and checked ones can be worn out and about or for swimming, and would dry quick as a flash in the heat. Need to dress up a bit? Tailored or chino shorts, like these from Debenhams and H&M, will keep you looking smart without you overheating.

Campervan shorts – Frugi, Orange shorts – H&M, Denim shorts – H&M, Red Oxford shorts – Debenhams, Navy chino shorts – H&M, Checked shorts – Tesco

These trainers from Mango might be the best we’ve ever seen – practical, but in brilliant colours. You could also go for some hi-tops, like the blue ones from Matalan or the Converse-style ones with side zip, or go for some pull-ons like the checked sneakers. If you’re messing around near water, jellies like these from Tesco are waterproof but protect your feet.

Blue zip-up trainers – H&M, Blue hi-tops – Matalan, Multi trainers – Mango, Tiger bag – Tesco, Checked sneakers – H&M, Jelly shoes – Tesco

Keep warm while looking cool in a hoodie or summer sweater. Go smart with the Ted Baker jacket, or go for a hooded sweatshirt in your favourite colour just for knocking about. Waterproof ones are good for those summer showers, and this striped jumper from Frugi is reversible, so you get two for one!

Burgundy hoodie – H&M, Green hoodie – Debenhams, Jacket – Ted Baker, Navy jacket – Mango, Red mac – M&S, Striped reversible jumper – Frugi, Salmon gilet – Mango, Lime waterproof – Next, Orange and white jumper – M&S

What do you like wearing in summer?

Events

Summer Clothes: Girls’ Edition

The summer holidays are coming, which means no school uniforms and a chance to wear clothes that you like! At Jump we love fun clothing that lets girls express themselves, (and climb trees!), so we’ve picked out some bits and pieces to give you some ideas. We haven’t forgotten you boys, either – check out next week’s post for the best t-shirts, shorts and shoes around.

Bikinis, tankinis… there’s some funky swimwear around at the moment. Mix and match with two piece suits like the red floral one from Debenhams, or go for a fun patterned swimsuit – M&S have some great ones. Just got out of the sea? A colourful cover-up like this towelling jumper from Monsoon will help you dry off while protecting you from the sun’s rays. All you need to do is sling on a pair of cool dip-dye shorts and some beaded sandals, and you’re good to go.

Stripy tankini – Debenhams, Star swimsuit – M&S, Floral sweatshirt – Monsoon, Shorts – Mango, Teal swimsuit- M&S, Grey polkadot swimsuit- M&S, Sandals – Monsoon

There are hundreds of tops in the shops, so why not go for one with a bit of personality? This floral one is beautiful but lightweight, and the embroidered top is perfect for protecting yourself from the sun while keeping cool. Even t-shirts aren’t so basic if they’re in a nice bright colour with a few snazzy details, like the bird and guitar tee or this sequined one from Next. Check out next week’s boys’ post too for some more t-shirt ideas.

Peach t-shirt – Tesco, Cross stitch blouse – Mango, Blue t-shirt – Frugi, Beaded top – Monsoon, Stripy top – H&M, Sequin t-shirt – Next

We all know that British weather is a bit unpredictable, but keeping warm on a grey day needn’t be dull. A jumper in mango, turquoise or even acid yellow is a great way to keep yourself feeling sunny, even if the weather outside is not. We also love this short-sleeved nautical sweater from Next. And check out the amazing sparkly parrot jumper!

Yellow jumper – Matalan, Boat jumper – Next, Parrot jumper – M&S, Heart cardigan- Next, Green jumper – Mango, Pink sweatshirt – H&M

Be as bold as you dare with bright colours and prints! These playsuits are fun and striking, and are a better bet than skirts if you’re climbing or just running around. If you’re more of a dress girl, there are tons around in every pattern you can think of – have fun choosing one that you love, whether it’s parrots, parasols,stars or stripes!

Yellow dress – Matalan, Toucan playsuit – Debenhams, Spirograph jumpsuit – Monsoon, Star dress – Next, Red mac – Tesco

Denim is hard-wearing, so good for playing outside, but it doesn’t need to be basic. Try floral, tie-dye or polkadot jeans, or go for a cool denim dress. We particularly love the banana yellow jeans – they’re the perfect summer colour!

Yellow jeans – Next, Denim jumpsuit – Matalan, Dip-dye jeans – Mango, Heart jeans – Matalan, Denim dress H&M, Floral jeans – Mango

Shoes and bags are a fun way to express yourself, but they can be practical too. Cross-body bags let you carry your book or phone around while leaving your hands free to, you know, do stuff, and trainers don’t have to be boring. You could go for full-on glitter with these amazing floral hi-tops, or be a bit more subtle with these black sporty trainers. If sandals are more your thing, the green ones are lovely and won’t fall off your feet every five minutes, and these jellies even change colour!

Jelly shoes – M&S, Black trainers – Matalan, Woven bag –Monsoon, Glitter hi-tops – M&S, Silver sneakers – H&M, Navy heart pumps – Matalan, Polkadot bag – Matalan, Green sandals – M&S, Pink star sneakers – Tesco

What do you like wearing in summer?